20 Refreshing Summer Cocktail Recipes You’re Going to Love
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With the summer right at our doorsteps, one thing that makes those long and hot days a bit more bearable, is having a nice, cold and refreshing drink on hand.
Whether you’re chilling at home, at a party or just hanging out with some friends and trying to have some fun, cocktails are the perfect drink for the occasion.
And you don’t need to be a professional level-100 barista to be able to make the best cocktails. They’re pretty simple and easy to make, and with very little stress.
In this post, you’ll discover 20 delicious and refreshing summer cocktail recipes, as well as some tips and tricks to help you make the best cocktails that will wow your friends, guests and even yourself.
Let’s dive in.
P.S… If you’re on a low carb or ketogenic diet, then check out our roundup of 14 amazing keto cocktail recipes that’ll actually keep you in ketosis.
Making A Cocktail – Ingredients
Depending on the type of cocktail you’re making, your ingredients can be very simple, say just some vodka, ice and orange juice, or a bit more complex.
Choosing to keep it simple or going super saiyan on your drink, all boils down to personal preference and what you like. So let the spirit lead.
In case you’re wondering what other ingredients you can add in your drink, here are some of the most popular cocktail ingredients. They include;
- Spirits – No, I don’t mean ghosts. I’m talking some gin, vodka, rum, etc.
- Liqueurs – the flavor is where it’s at
- Wine – of course how can we forget wine
- Beer
- Bitters
- Sodas
- Sweeteners and syrups
- Fruit juices
- Fresh fruit
- Egg white
- Cream and milk
- Coffee
- Herbs and spices – ginger, mint, basil and so on
Feel free to experiment with your favorites and see how it goes.
Tips For Making The Best Cocktails
Like I said earlier, you don’t need to be an expert barista to make awesome cocktails.
At the basic level, cocktails are like the easiest thing to make. Just combine your different ingredients and you’re good to go. It really doesn’t get more complex than that.
However, there are a couple of useful tips that might help you get the best out of your next barista-like adventure. Here are a few.
1) Pay Attention To Portions
When it comes to making the perfect cocktail, portions do matter. And as much as I’d love to give you a specific ratio, I think we both know it’s not always that simple.
However, it’s still worth pointing out that the portions matter. Two different glasses of an alcoholic mixture may not taste exactly the same if they use vastly different portions of the same ingredients.
Properly measuring the amount of different ingredients before pouring them in can go a long way in ensuring you’re sticking to the plan (if you have one beforehand).
While equipment like jiggers can be very helpful when it comes to measuring, not everyone has one of those in their homes. In such cases, you can make do with things like measuring spoons and measuring cups.
Some people are good at eyeballing things, most people (especially me) are not. So proper measurement does help.
2) Shake/Stir Properly
Not every cocktail recipe will require shaking, although most popular ones do, especially when they contain thicker ingredients like cream, egg, fruit juices and so on.
When making those kind of drinks, you want to shake that thing like there’s no tomorrow.
Ok, maybe a little over exaggeration there, but you get the point. Shaking ensures the ingredients are well-mixed and also helps in breaking down some of the ice too.
You could always invest in a good shaker, or use other equipment like mason jars or sport flasks instead. Just make sure they’re tightly sealed.
Pretty much the same goes for stirring. Stirring is done more gently, and if you don’t have a bar spoon, you can use some chopsticks, or even a sturdy straw.
3) Fresh Is Best
If your drink requires the addition of fruits, it’s always a best idea to opt in for the fresh ones, since they deliver the best flavor.
It’s about to be summer soon, which means a lot of tasty fruits are going to be available, but it also means they could go bad more quickly too, if not used early or stored properly. So remember to always opt in for the freshest and juiciest.
20 Tasty Cocktail Recipes
1) Best Naturally Sweetened Whiskey Sour

Get the recipe at – A Couple Cooks
2) Pink Vodka Lemonade Cocktail

Get the recipe at – Café Delites
3) Frozen Pimm’s Cup

4) Rosé Hibiscus Mimosas

Get the recipe at – How Sweet Eats
5) Pineapple Ginger Mojito

Get the recipe at – Pizzazzerie
Also See: 24 Homemade Popsicle Recipes You Need To Try This Summer
6) Vodka Watermelon Cocktail

Get the recipe at – Joyful Healthy Eats
7) Rainbow Paradise Cocktail With Blue Curacao

Get the recipe at – Vegarecepten
8) Tequila Lime Mojitarita Cocktail

Get the recipe at – Family Style Food
9) Frozen Pineapple Mango Daiquiri

Get the recipe at – Jelly Toast Blog
10) Malibu Sunset

Get the recipe at – Averie Cooks
Also See: 20 Healthy 4th July Desserts That’ll Satisfy Your Cravings
11) Frozen Orange Prosecco

Get the recipe at – Foodness Gracious
12) Pink Champagne Sangria

Get the recipe at – The Cookie Rookie
13) Fig Thyme Shrub Cocktail

Get the recipe at – Spices In My DNA
14) Frosting Shots

Get the recipe at – Crazy For Crust
15) Easy Pomegranate Margaritas

Get the recipe at – Baker By Nature
Also See: 25 Delicious Fruit Salad Recipes You Need To Try
16) Coconut Pineapple Rum Slush

Get the recipe at – The Sweetest Occasion
17) Blackberry Cucumber Gin and Tonic

Get the recipe at – The Wooden Skillet
18) Mango Sunrise Piña Colada

Get the recipe at – The Sweetest Occasion
19) Boozy Popsicle Mimosas

Get the recipe at – Ready To Yumble
20) Queen’s Park Swizzle Cocktail

Which of these are you planning on trying next? Let me know down in the comments.
Don’t forget to save your favorites for later. Enjoy!

